Cottage Industry.

Tell us about Cottage Industry and how it all began…

Cottage Industry opened 7 years ago but I’ve been in the industry for 30 years now, starting out when I was studying BA Textile Design at RMIT. I’ve always worked freelance and have designed for lots of different companies while also running my own business, including a stint as a consultant to Country Road. Anything textile based, from fashion and accessories to home wares and I’ll have a go at it! A really bad accident 15 years ago made me refocus and get back to my roots in the handmade and craft based. Cottage Industry grew out of that as I felt a retail space best helped us to talk directly to the customer to explain what we were up to- hand made in small runs, the use of vintage fabrics, our passion for textiles, supporting ethical and fairtrade makers in India and Africa. 

 

 

Describe some of the sustainable aspects to your designs.

I make all of our home wares from vintage fabrics, we do a lot of recycling. Almost all our garments are made in our studio and a lot of our offcuts end up made into quilts or smaller items. My inner textile design loves the scarves we bring in from India and it is very important to me that we support charitable trusts like WomenWeave who make these and Karm Marg who make all our shop carry bags from recycled newspapers. I am passionate about using all natural fibres in our products and we use either local digital printing or screen printing in some of our products. We’ve always made clothing that is not ‘fashion driven’ and a huge part of what we do is to create wearable timeless garments that are comfortable and utilitarian.


How does a typical workday unfold for you?

As I make most of what we sell my usual day involves not getting enough work done! My studio is down the road in Fitzroy and I am usually there drafting patterns, sampling, cutting and sewing. The office and home is at the shop so I am in and out of the shop during the day, as well as working into the evenings….. I dye all out beautiful angora/lamb’s wool gloves in the evenings and weekends in the laundry so I am always surrounded by work that needs to be finished. Never ending!

 
What do you enjoy about having a shopfront and being able to do markets as well?
We are very selective about the markets we participate in and they are great for us to make contact with new customers or customers that can’t make it into the shop. It can be fun to take Cottage Industry on the road! 

 

What can market-folk expect to find at the June event?

We've been working with a lot of lovely linen and linen/wool fabrics lately and are planning a lot more styles to bring down to Hobart. Our 'Harvest Smocks' and 'Chemise' styles are proving ever popular and we are working on a new range of digital print leggings. The hand dyed angora/lamb’s wool fingerless gloves will definitely be packed along with the beautiful socks and handwoven scarves we import and our one-off vintage canvas and leather bags too. So much work to do in the nest month!

 

 

MY FAVE THINGS

 

Guilty pleasure: Eating cake from the fabulous Beatrix Cafe in North Melbourne (that’s not actually a guilty pleasure… it’s a weekly necessity).

 

What you wanted to be when you grew up: An Archaeologist, and I am still a nerd about the history of textiles.

 

Fave fashion piece you own: I have a rather fabulous Azzedine Alaia coat that was a present from a friend but really I live in jeans and one of our signature ‘Harvest Smocks’, I tend to dress in comfortable work clothes.

 

One place you’d like to visit when in Hobart: I travel to Hobart and Tasmania a couple of times a year so I am very familiar with the place now. I am looking forward to going down to Geeveston to eat the fabulous sushi at Masaaki’s, of catching up with the marvellous Lou of Oyster and Pearl fame and hopefully I will get a night out photographing the Aurora Australis if I am very lucky….. a visit to Hobart isn’t about just one thing!

 

Your role model/s: I don’t really have role models but I am a great lover of the handmade and of skills so I am fascinated by craftspeople and makers, especially those carrying on tradition trades.